5-8 minor league updates

[Buckeye33]

haha, im not that big....but thats ok. He is real good.

Hmmm...that statement just seems more wrong than the "I love Bruce" line.

[edabbs44]

Not trying to rush it here, but what's the feeling on Bailey getting the call to AA? Mid-season, if he stays effective and healthy throughout?

[OSURedLeg]

Not trying to rush it here, but what's the feeling on Bailey getting the call to AA? Mid-season, if he stays effective and healthy throughout?

I don't think it's effectiveness that has been the concern with the Reds and promoting Bailey. It sounds like it has to do more with his ability to show consistency from one outing to the next, as well as the development of his change up. However, if things continue to click for him, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he got a promotion sometime around mid to late June.

[REDSEER]

I could see a promotion after the draft, depending on whether we choose many college level players that could step in and contribute at the A level. Nevertheless, Bailey gets the call up (to AA) sometime this year.

[traderumor]

Wow on Homer. Two no-nos in three starts with 11Ks is something to write home about. I was just checking out the videos posted on another thread, which is the first I've seen his motion. His bringing up the left leg reminds of El Duque.

[Betterread]

Not trying to rush it here, but what's the feeling on Bailey getting the call to AA? Mid-season, if he stays effective and healthy throughout?

Before being promoted to AA, he should be pitching 7 innings or more each start. Right now he is going 5-6 innings consistently, so his strength and stamina are question marks.
It's good to see him having dominant performances and developing confidence while still developing his pitches, his rhythm and his ability to deal with adversity.

[tbball10]

Before being promoted to AA, he should be pitching 7 innings or more each start. Right now he is going 5-6 innings consistently, so his strength and stamina are question marks.
It's good to see him having dominant performances and developing confidence while still developing his pitches, his rhythm and his ability to deal with adversity.

I believe he is only allowed to throw 90 pitches each start, and when you are striking out 11, that makes for a high pitch count. That is why he isn't throwing 7 innings, and if I'm not mistaken, if he gets promoted to AA, he will still throw 90 pitches, because the pitch counts are done by age.

[membengal]

True dat. He is on a strict pitch count (which is a good thing). And, agreed, tr, two of these kinds of performances in this short an amount of time is enough to allow a little excitement and hope to build anyway...

I like how the Reds are handling Bailey so far this year, the assignment to Sarasota was right on, and it sounds like they have been working with him extensively on his change, which is exactly where I would hope he is concentrating. He is so young, if managed properly and if he stays injury free, he really could be a huge prospect for this club, to either have and to hold or to actually use as a chip in deals later this summer or into the off-season.

Either way, it would be a nice position for this club to be in with a pitching prospect, for a change.

[OnBaseMachine]

Hammerheads survive Bailey's gem
Sarasota hurler no-hits team through six for second time in two weeks
By Eric Justic / Special to MLB.com

Homer Bailey fanned a season-high 11 in six no-hit frames, but it wasn't enough as visiting Sarasota fell to Jupiter, 2-1, on Monday.

Bailey left with a 1-0 lead after the sixth inning. The right-hander tossed his most dominant start for the Reds (16-15) to date. He also didn't allow any hits or runs through six against Lakeland on April 27, but that no-hit bid was broken up on a one-out bunt single in the ninth inning.

Just two batters reached base against Bailey in this contest. Brad McCann walked with two outs in the first and Brad Davis got aboard on catcher's interference in the second.

Bailey's stuff was untouchable as only two balls were hit out of the infield and his 11 strikeouts matched a career high set on August 11, 2005, while pitching for the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League.

'It wasn't a whole lot of strain," Bailey said. "I'm getting at my peak toward the end of the start. All the games I have been taken out in, I feel like I had been rolling. I was getting stronger the last two innings and starting to unwind. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had control of my curveball. All three of my pitches were working and I felt like I was able to locate them all."

Bailey wanted to head out for the seventh, but the Reds have a strict 90-pitch limit for the 2004 first-round pick. The Hammerheads (13-18) immediately broke up the no-hitter and snagged the win off Sarasota reliever Jeremy Schmidt (0-3).

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...milb&fext=.jsp

[traderumor]

'It wasn't a whole lot of strain," Bailey said. "I'm getting at my peak toward the end of the start. All the games I have been taken out in, I feel like I had been rolling. I was getting stronger the last two innings and starting to unwind. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had control of my curveball. All three of my pitches were working and I felt like I was able to locate them all."

Perhaps the inconsistency comes for Homer not yet figuring out how to get batters out when he does not have his best stuff. It seems like when he does, he is unhittable, literally. Since that is common to all pitchers, that would seem to be the next hurdle for his developers to tackle. For example, he said he has not had command of his curve of late, so lean more on the change until the curve returns.

[lollipopcurve]

Perhaps the inconsistency comes for Homer not yet figuring out how to get batters out when he does not have his best stuff.

I would say that's probably part of what he needs to do, but he still needs time to work on the command of his curve and change. He can handle a promotion to AA this year, I think, but I still would not like to see him in the majors until mid 2007 at the earliest.

He's the best arm the Reds have had since Soto, easily.

[TRF]

What was Pellands final line?

[traderumor]

I would say that's probably part of what he needs to do, but he still needs time to work on the command of his curve and change. He can handle a promotion to AA this year, I think, but I still would not like to see him in the majors until mid 2007 at the earliest.

He's the best arm the Reds have had since Soto, easily.

Oh sure, and command of those two will certainly make him more consistent. But also learning what it takes to get guys out outing after outing with varying "stuff" is something that all studs can do. He will be a good measuring stick if there have been any significant changes in our pitching development program, if they can harness Bailey's stuff and turn him into a pitcher rather than just a chucker who is only as good as his stuff is on any given night.

[rdiersin]

What was Pellands final line?

5IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 6K, 4BB, 1HB

[lollipopcurve]

He will be a good measuring stick if there have been any significant changes in our pitching development program, if they can harness Bailey's stuff and turn him into a pitcher rather than just a chucker who is only as good as his stuff is on any given night.

Bailey is more than just a chucker. He's got two potentially dominant pitches and a change that seems to be developing. I agree that getting by without his best stuff is an important hurdle for him, but I don't place responsibility for that solely on the coaches. He's got to show that he has the moxie to think out there on the mound. From the quotes we've seen from him, he appears to be working in that direction, so I'm optimistic.